Time-piece



1950 A. A. KWARTIROFF ET AL 2,962,643

TIME-PIECE Filed April 16, 1956 INVENTORS NexisMwarhroff engine H. Pamevirch BY mm ORNEY Patented Nov. 29, 1960 "ice gap of the core 10 fixed on the plate 3. Further, the relative position of the magnet 9 and the core 10 is so 2,962,643 designed that the magnet 9 is completely and symmetri- TIMEPIECE cally engaged in the air gap of the core 10 when the bal- Alexis A. Kwartiroif and Eugene A. Patkevitch, Geneva, the Parts is illustrated in Switzerland, assignors to Omega Louis Brandt & Frere The time-piece has a direct current So ce 11 and a S.A., Bienne, Switzerland electronic switch, in the embodiment shown a transistor 12. Filed 1956 578491 Fig. 2 is an electric circuit diagram of the time-piece Claims priority, application Switzerland Apr. 26, 1955 shown in Fig. l. The winding 13 wound onto the core 10 is connected into the collector circuit of the transistor 12 5 nit-132) and the sender of the transistor is kept at a suitable operating potential, for instance by means of a voltage. 15 divider comprising resistors 15 and 16, which is con-. This invention relates to a time-Piece actuated by an nected to the battery 11. The base of the transistor 12 electric source and having an electronic switch for pulseis connected to the one d of i di 14, th the Wise Control of the driving energy of a mechanical y end of this winding being connected to the one battery oscillator, for instance a balance wheel. A time-piece terminal over a resistor 17 and a condenser 18, of that yp is disclosed in the eoPehdihg Patent PP 20 The transformer ratio and the coupling coefficient of cation S i l N 476,704 f Nicolas Aeschmannthe transformer constituted by the windings 13 and 14 In the time-Piece disclosed in the above p Patent and core 10 are so designed that the circuit may operaPPiieetion two diiieient maghetilebie Parts are fixed on ate as a blocked oscillator. However, the rest potenthe seid rotary oseiiiatoi", the one of such magnetizehie tial of the transistor base and sender are such that the Parts serving for inducing eieetlie pulses for control of blocking oscillator will not start to oscillate itself and the electronic switch, for instance a transistor or avacuum ill not remain i oscillating state without external tube and the other magnetizable part serving for taking Starting or synchronizing l e, i the driving eeeeierating Pulses for sustaining the When the balance 1 is displaced from its rest position oscillation of the rotary oseiiietor Two ditieient Wind illustrated in Fig. 1 and is then released, a voltage will ing and core system were required each for p be induced in the winding 14 when the magnet 9 first tion with one of the said Inegnetilabie Parts fixed on approaches the core 10, the direction and value of the. the rotary osoiiiatofvoltage being such that the transistor which had been in T invention aims in simPiitYing m -P of the cut-off condition becomes conducting. The winding dikind e o above The time-Piece of this invention rection of the winding 13 is so designed that by the curis broadly characterized in that one single Inagnetilahie rent increase occurring in the same the magnetic flux Part, p 3 Permanent magnet is fixed on the sdid in the core 10, increases in the same direction as for rotary oscillator, for instance on a balance wheel, the th approach of th magnet 9 to the core so that by this d Inegnetilabie P Causing the Production of eleefurther increase of the magnetic flux in the core 10 a trio .pulses for controlling the said electronic switch and till hi h voltage of h same l i as b f i i e mechanical driving pulses produced y magnetic 40 duced in the winding 14, this voltage rise causing an- Pnises being imparted to the said Inagnetilabie P i for other current increase in the collector circuit of the transustaining the oscillation of the said rotary oscillator. sistor and in th i di 13, I th manner well known Thereby it is Possible to use one single core r y g for blocking oscillators this increase of current flow in the required Windingscollector circuit of the transistor goes on until saturation In the drawing two embodiments of this invention are f h collector current begins, whereupon the voltage illustrated y y of example, the figures h g n y induced in the winding 14 and consequently the current the parts of the time-pi c s nece ry for a re y un erpulse in the coil 13 breaks down. Therefore, for every standing of the inventioncontrol pulse induced in the winding 14 the blocking oscil- 1 is a Perspective View of the essential P P lator is controlled to produce one single aperiodic oscillatially in section, 0 tion or pulse. Fig. 2 is an electric circuit diagram of the first embodi- By suitable design of the coils 13 and 14, of the element of the time-piece, and ments 17 and 18 connected into the base circuit of the,

Figs- 3 and 4 illustrate a constl'netive detail and an transistor and of the base rest potential the beginning of electrical circuit diagram of the second embodiment of the current increase in the transistor 12 and in the windthe time-piece. ing 13 is so delayed with respect to the control pulse The time-piece shown in Fig. 1 comprises a mechanical induced in the coil 14 that this current pulse and the. rotary oscillator, constituted y e baiahee Wheel the magnetization of the core 10 caused by the same only staif-2 of which is pivoted in the pillar plate 3 and in occurs when the magnet 9 fixed on the balance '1 has a bridge 4 (cock) fixed to the pillar plate by means of reached at least its rest position. When the magnet 93:. a seiew A hair spring 6 of Conventional yp is 59 has overpassed its rest or mid-position, the magnet 9 is; attached at its inner end to a collet 7 maintained on repelled by the increasing magnetic flux in the air gap the staif 2, whereas its outer end is fixed to the cock 4 of core 10 whereby a driving or accelerating pulse is y by means of a stud 8. imparted to the magnet 9 and consequently to the balance I The rim f the alan 1 Carri a mflgn Part 1 so that the oscillation is sustained. During the next or armature, for instance a permanent magnet 9. Near passage of the magnet 9 through the air gap of the core the balance 1 is fixed a magnetizable core, for instance 10 exa tly the same events will take place so that the a soft iron core 10 carrying two separate windings 13 magnet 9 receives a driving or accelerating pulse at every and 14 (Fig. 2). Core 10 has a cylindrical yoke 10 passage through the air gap of the core 10. i passing through coils 13 and 14, two parallel leg por- In the embodiment of the time-piece according to tions 10 and inwardly directed pole pieces 10 enclosthis invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing' two ance 1 is at rest. This relative rest or zero position of ing an air gap 10 between them. The core 10 is so disposed hat't ma et. 9 may freely pass thro ghthe ,air

magnetizable cores 20 and 21, both similar to the coref 10 of Fig. l are arranged side by side, the cores 20 and aeeaeas 3 21 carrying windings 22 and 23 respectively. The windings 22 and 23 are connected into the sender circuit and the collector circuit respectively of the transistor 12 as shown in Fig. 4. It is again assumed that a small permanent magnet 9 is fi red on the rim of the balance wheel 1, the cores 20 and 21 being made of soft iron or other magnetizable material having no or little remanence. It is further assumed that practically no collector current flows in the transistor when the time-piece is at rest.

When the balance wheel oscillates and the permanent magnet 9 approaches the air gap of the core 20 a voltage is induced in the winding '22 in such a direction that the current in the collector circuit of the transistor and in the winding 23 increases, whereby the core 21 is magnetized in such a direction that the permanent magnet 9 is repelled. When the magnet 9 moves from the upper right corner of Fig. 3 downwardly and to the left the magnetization of the core 21 will occur too early for taking a noticeable influence on the magnet 9. But when the magnet is moving in the opposite direction, that is from the lower left corner in Fig. 3 the magnetization of the core 21 will occur when the magnet 9 is approximately in the position illustrated in Fig. 3 so that the magnet 9 is repelled in the direction of its motion whereby a driving or accelerating pulse is imparted to the balance wheel 1.

The circuit might as well be designed in such a way that the said electric pulse causing an increase in collector current in the transistor and in the winding 23 might be induced in the winding 22 whenever the magnet 9 leaves the air gap of the core 20. In this case magnetisation of the core 21 shall have an attractive effect on the magnet 9.

By means of the oscillation of the balance wheel 1 the hands of the time-piece are driven in a well known manner by mechanical means. The hands of the time-piece might also be driven by means of a stepping motor fed by the current pulses occurring in the collector circuit of the transistor. To this end a suitable air gap might be provided in the core 10 or 21 respectively and an armature might displaceably be arranged in this air gap the armature being displaced for every excitation of the core for acting onto a stepping wheel advancing the hands of the time-piece. The electric pulses occurring in any one of the circuits illustrated might also be used for synchronizing another blocking oscillator whereby a motor for driving the hands of the time-piece would be energized by this blocking oscillator.

The above described blocking oscillator (Fig. 2) might as well be designed for self sustained oscillation at a frequency slightly below the balance wheel frequency, the blocking oscillator being synchronized with the balance wheel for instance by the electric pulses induced in the winding 14.

Instead of a transistor 12 another electronic switch, for

instance a vacuum tube might be used.

One single winding might also be provided on the core 10 (Figs. 1 and 2) in which the electric pulses for controlling the electronic switch would be induced and through which the driving current pulses would flow.

Instead of a permanent magnet 9 a soft iron piece be fixed on the rim of the balance wheell in the embodiment shown in Figs. 3 and 4 whereby the core might be a permanent magnet or comprise a permanent magnet setting up a magnetic field in the air gap through which the magnetizable soft iron piece of the balance wheel passes. It is also feasible to produce the desired magnetisation in the core 20 by means of the rest cur-rent flowing in the winding 22 or in another suitable winding. Thereby a change of the magnetic flux would occur in the core 20 whenever the soft iron piece fixed on the balance wheel enters the air gap of the core and the electric pulse for controlling the electronic switch would be induced by this change of magnetic While the invention has been described and illustrated with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that other embodiments may be resorted to without departing from the invention. Therefore, the forms of the invention set out above should be considered as illustrative and not as limiting the scope of the following claims.

What we claim is:

l. A timepiece actuated by an electric source, comprising a balance wheel, an electronic switch associated with a control circuit and a controlled circuit for pulse-wise control of the driving energy for the said balance wheel, one single separate piece of magnetizable material fixedly attached to the said balance wheel, fixed core means of magnetizable material, air gap means in the said core means, the said piece of magnetizable material passing through the said air gap means on oscillation of the balance wheel, the size of the said core means and the size of the said piece of magnetizable material being so correlated with the amplitude of the balance wheel that the transit path of the said piece through the said air gap means is small compared with the said amplitude of the balance wheel, a first coil on the said core means connected into the control circuit associated with the said electronic switch and a second coil on the said core means connected into the controlled circuit associated with the said electronic switch, a short voltage pulse being induced in the said first coil on passage of the said piece of magnetizable material through the said air gap means and a short current pulse being initiated through the said electronic switch and the said second coil by the said voltage pulse, the said current pulse passing through the second coil imparting a mechanical 'driving pulse to the said piece of magnetizable material passing through the said air gap means.

2. A time-piece according to claim 1, wherein the said core means comprise one single core and one singleair gap, the said first and second coils being accommodated on the said single common core. i l i 3. A timepiece actuated by an electric source, comprising a balance Wheel, an electronic switch associated with a control circuit and a controlled circuit for pulse-wise control of the driving power for the said balance wheel, one single separate piece of magnetizable material fixedly attached to the said balance wheel, fixed core means, means of magnetizable material comprising at least one U-shaped core having two leg portions, a yoke portion and an air gap between such leg portions opposite the said yoke portion, the said leg portions enclosing the said balance wheel between them, the size of the said piece of magnetizable material and the size of the said core means being so correlated with the amplitude of the balance wheel that the said piece of magnetizable material attached to the balance wheel passes through the said air gap formed between the said leg portions within a small part of the amplitude of the said balance wheel, first and second coil means an the .yoke portion ofthe said core means, the said first coil means being connected into the control oirouitassociate d with the said electronic switch and the said second coil means beingconneoted into the said controlled circuit associated with the said electronic switch, a short voltage pulse being induced in the said first coil means on passage of the piece of magnetizable material through the air gap of the said core means and a short current pulse being initiated through the said electronic switch and the said second coil means by this voltage pulse, the said current pulse initiating a mechanical driving pulse on the said piece of magnetizable material attachedto the balance Wheel.

4. A timepiece actuated by an electric source comprising a balance wheel, an electronic amplifier associated with a control circuit and a controlled circuit for pulsewise control of the driving energy for the said balance wheel, one single sepaiate piece of magnetizable material fixedly attached to the said balance wheel, one single new fixed core of magnetizable material having an air gap, the said piece of magnetizable material passing through the said air gap on oscillation of the balance wheel, a first coil on the said core connected into the control circuit associated with the said electronic amplifier and a second coil on the said core connected into the controlled circuit of the said electronic amplifier, the said first and second coils being coupled with each other by the said core of magnetizable material in a manner to constitute together with the said electronic amplifier a blocking oscillator adapted for free oscillation at a first natural frequency, the said balance wheel being adapted for free oscillation at a second natural frequency, the said first natural fre quency of the blocking oscillator being somewhat lower than the said second natural frequency of the balance wheel and the said blocking oscillator being synchronized at the said second natural frequency of the balance wheel by voltage pulses induced in the said first coil on passage of the said piece of magnetizable material through the air gap of the said core.

5. An electric timepiece actuated by an electric source, of the type having a balance wheel and an electronic amplifier associated with a control circuit and a controlled circuit for pulse-wise control of the driving energy for the said balance wheel of the timepiece, comprising one single separate piece of magnetizable material fixedly attached to the balance wheel, one single fixed core of magnetizable material having one single air gap, the said piece of magnetizable material adapted to pass through the said air gap on oscillation of the balance wheel, winding means on the said core, feed-back means interconnesting the said winding means with the said control circuit and connecting means between the said controlled circuit and the said winding means, a blocking oscillator being formed by the said electronic amplifier, the said winding means and the said feed-back means, a change of magnetic flux being produced in the said core and a voltage being induced in the said winding means due to the said change in magnetic flux when the said piece of magnetizable material passes through the said air gap, this voltage being adapted for pulse-wise operating the said blocking oscillator, whereby a current pulse is produced in the said controlled circuit and winding means respectively, a driving pulse being applied to the said piece of magnetizable material by the said current pulse occurring in the said winding means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,965,763 Battegay July 10, 1934 2,125,638 Hubert Aug. 2, 1938 2,472,249 De Giers et al June 7, 1949 2,671,864 Dargier de Saint Vaulry Mar. 9, 1954 2,745,012 Felker May 8, 1956 2,831,114 Van Overbeek Apr. 15, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,090,564 France Oct. 20, 1954 1,092,411 France Nov. 10, 1954 1,102,373 France May 4, 1955 1,117,873 France Mar. 5, 1956 

